The Valdez Christmas Tree Over the Years

2007: Our first tree at our home in Sta. Rosa.  Aly was so bulinggit back then.

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2008: Our first tree at our home in Bangkok.

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A small magenta tree that doesn't go with anything in the house so it totally stands out.  But that's exactly how I wanted it.

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2009: I added two more.

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I love the vibrant colors!

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This year, I added yet another one.

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So we now have four: red, white, green and magenta :)

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This year, I wanted to go overboard with the trimmings for a more stariray look  so I added handmade decor to the store-bought ones.  I also wanted the decorations to pop so I used contrasting colors.  Here's a closer look:

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For the red tree, I used two shades of green: emerald and lime.  The tree is actually a deep shade of red.  I added crystals to the tree to make it sparkle.  I would have wanted to make more crystal strands, but it's a lot of work and my wrists began to hurt.

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I initially wanted purple (my favorite color!) for the white tree, but I didn't see a lot of purple decor so I went for two shades of blue (Richard's favorite): aqua and dark blue.

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Our white tree also has crystals (which I DIY'd), small disco balls (mirror balls) and clear balls.  I love this tree!

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Our neon green tree has magenta and a bit of purple and white.  I found an old faux pearl necklace, took it apart, strung the beads on thin wire and hung them on the tree.

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The magenta tree has silver and white trimmings.  The white garlands that you see are actually sold as a necklace but I thought they would look good on our tree.  And those disco balls...they totally rock!  I really love them.  I wish I bought more.  This tree has clear balls as well.

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Now this red thing is a leftover of what was supposed to be a Christmas decor in itself.  But, what I did was, I took them apart; cut the balls one by one and twisted them on the trees.  I got them in different colors depending of the motif of the tree.  It was a painstaking process that left my hands red and calloused -- in spite of using pliers.  But it was all worth it and for my hardwork, I rewarded myself with a mani-pedi.  Heehee! 

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TIPS: 

• Sometimes, you need not look at the household section for the perfect Christmas decor. I found some of them at the accessories section!  
• And if you've got the time, making the trimmings yourself is cheaper and more rewarding than getting ready-made ones.  There are tons of resources on the internet for inspiration.  
• Always, ALWAYS get the little ones involved with the Christmas preps.  Aly was in charge of putting the trimmings on our trees.  I just made a few minor adjustments.  It is, after all, for the children.

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Christmas is definitely in the house!   

Training Myself to Wear High Heels Again

I used to wear high heels to work almost everyday.  I can stand/walk around in them all day, from morning till night; from event set-up to the after party.  And since I was working, I used to wear make-up every day too.  Oh, how I miss those more glamorous days.  Now that I'm a stay-at-home mom, my high-heeled shoes have taken a back seat for the more comfortable ones.  In fact, I've been living in my Fitflops since the day the hubby bought them.

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Mother's day gift: Fitflops + pedi from Richard.

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I wore them when we were moving to another apartment.  This photo was taken at our old unit.

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At the train station.

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I practically never took them off since the day I got them.  They are the most comfortable footwear ever!  My Fitflops and I have been to many places together: Chatuchak, Chinatown, the lunch market, Paragon, Emporium...You can walk great distances in them and you will never feel pain on your feet.  Swear!  

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I love my Fitflops to bits, no doubt about that.  But they're beginning to show signs of wear and tear.  Richard offered to buy me a new pair, but I told him that one pair is enough for me.  I know it sounds crazy to resist such offer but I still have other shoes in my closet.  

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Although for now, I'm still favoring flats over heels.

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But I want to put some glam back into my life so I'm training myself to wear high heels again.  I brought out some of my pairs and wear them at home.  I know it sounds silly but there's no better place to practice than home.  At least if I make a boo boo, no one else will see me.  Heehee!  Wedges are a good way to start, by the way, because they are more stable.

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I think I should train harder.  Mom bought me a pair of Michael Kors and if I remember the photo correctly, they're going to be the highest pair that I will ever own.  *gulp*  I can't wait!  I think I should train with the one that I saw in Zara last week.  Heehee!

Last Week

This is going to be a quickie.  Let me tell you all about the week that was through photos.

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Aly got her first live musical experience.  Inspire Me! was directed by her first grade teacher, Mr. Justin. 

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She was thrilled to see her classmates Minnie and Van at the show.

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Richard saw Tiger Woods in the flesh!  He won the ticket in an office raffle.  Swerte!

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Had lunch with my college friend, Jennet, at Neilson Hays Library.  She just moved to Bangkok with her hubby last month.  We've been seeing each other on a regular basis but this is our first photo together.  We've been too busy catching up that we always forget to take a picture.  Heehee!

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My first Pahurat experience.  I went there to buy a traditional Thai costume for Aly for their Loy Krathong celebration.

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Beautiful Thai costumes.

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What I got for Aly was similar to this, in pink.

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I loved Pahurat!  Big thanks to my Thai friend, Valaiporn, for showing me around :)

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Harry Potter DVD marathon last Saturday!  Complete with drinks and snacks, of course.

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Pac-man is best viewed with Filipinos and the more, the merrier!  Pac-man and barbecue lunch at the Nuestro's beautiful home in Bang-na.

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We also met super cute baby Ross!

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It was a great week!  Thank you, Lord for our friends.

Looking Forward To...

Our Christmas vacay!  We booked and paid for our tickets already!  Yay!
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Can't wait to see family and friends back home...and friends who will be flying in from different countries as well.  We will also be meeting the newest member of the Valdez family, my nephew Eli, for the very first time :)  Soo excited to see him!  It's going to be another action-packed vacation!  Yipee!

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I am also looking forward to this:

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The soon-to-be newest member of my bag family :)

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There's a month-long wait list so I'm going to have it shipped in Manila while I'm there.  Obvious ba na I really can't wait?  Heehee! 

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Happier days ahead!  But first, Christmas gift list and shopping.  I'll see y'all soon!

Busy Momma

My "work table" nowadays.  

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I hate clutter, but I've been too busy lately that I don't have time to tidy up so it's one glorious mess for now.  I'm kinda loving it, though because it reminds me the next day of what I need to finish.  The past few weeks have been ker-razy!  My days are filled with chores, errands, my craft projects and Aly's social calendar.  Last week I was busy with Halloween preps -- decorating, shopping for costumes and treats...the minute the decorations were put down, I had to start working on our Christmas decorations. Once they're up, I have to start working on our gift list and start shopping.  Phew!  Ker-razy!!

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Anyway, I can't stay long.  I have a million things to do.  But here's a glimpse of what's been eating up my time these days.

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Oh, yes!  It's Christmas!

What I Did Over the Weekend

It took me three days to make (including an entire afternoon's worth of searching and haggling in Chatuchak for materials), but it's all worth it because this is for my mom.

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A big-ass bib neckpiece :)

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Inspired by the one that I bought from Manila during my last trip which, by the way, looks tiny now compared to the one I made.

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It's still not perfect, but I think I did a pretty good job for a first-timer if I may say so myself :)  

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These babies are completely handmade and labor intensive.  Now I understand why these don't come cheap.  Richard has been encouraging me to look for stuff to do so I won't get bored because let's face it: I can't go to the mall everyday.  Looks like this is it.  Heehee!  I told my bestfriend Pat that I will try to make more so I can bring home a few pieces when I come home.  Let's see how it goes.

Homemade Granola

Since I'm trying to eat more healthy and lose weight at the same time, I try to avoid my usual guilty pleasures like chips, chocolates and practically everything else that can either make me fat curvier or give me diabetes.  Those who really know me know that I can't live without sweets.  Luckily, there's a healthier way to snack.  Presenting, my homemade granola :)

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Snacking while window shopping online.  Heehee!

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It's not just any granola; it's homemade granola.  They say that the ones that you buy off the shelf are not really healthy because of the preservatives, sugar and other stuff that they use so I make my own at home.  Here's the recipe:

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2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup almonds

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Warm up honey and olive oil in microwave oven.

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Mix everything together and bake in a lined pan at 300C until golden brown.

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Store in an airtight container.

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You may also add other kinds of nuts and dried fruits if you want.  I promise you, this recipe is super easy to make.  You just toss everything together, bake and enjoy!